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Paducah-McCracken County NAACP's 2023 Fredricka Hargrove-MLK Jr. Essay Contest Winners Have Been Announced

The first-place poster in the K-3rd Grade Division by Ellie Burpro, Concord Elementary.
Ellie Burpro
The first-place poster in the K-3rd Grade Division by Ellie Burpro, Concord Elementary.

In memory of Paducah teacher and Murray State alumna Fredricka Hargrove, the annual Fredricka Hargrove-MLK Jr. Essay Contest is open to all K through 12 students in Paducah and McCracken County. The contest serves as a chance for students and teachers to celebrate the life, work, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.

The prompts for this year's essay included the life and legacy of Medgar Evers for middle school students and Rosa Parks for elementary school students. Winners will be recognized at a special celebration on Sunday, January 15th, at Paducah Middle School. This event is free to attend.

WKMS has partnered with the Paducah-McCracken County NAACP to bring you the following recordings of students reading their first-place essays.

Poster Contest
K-3rd Grade Division 1st Place Winner
Ellie Burpro, Concord Elementary

Ellie Burpro is the 1st Place winner of the K-3rd Grade Division Poster Contest.
McCracken County Public Schools
Ellie Burpro is the 1st Place winner of the K-3rd Grade Division Poster Contest.

(winning poster pictured above)

2nd Place: Elli Johnston, Concord Elementary School
3rd Place: Owen Sims, Concord Elementary School

Essay Contest
4th & 5th Grade Division 1st Place Winner
Wesley Gagnon, Lone Oak Intermediate School

Wesley Gagnon is the 1st Place Winner of the 4th & 5th Grade Division Essay Contest.
McCracken County Public Schools
Wesley Gagnon is the 1st Place Winner of the 4th & 5th Grade Division Essay Contest.

Listen to Wesley Gagnon's essay, "The Fights for Rights"

Wesley Gagnon.mp3
Wesley Gagnon, Lone Oak Intermediate School, reads his first-place essay in the 4th & 5th Grade Division, "Fights for Rights."

2nd Place: Sophie Clark, Lone Oak Intermediate School
3rd Place: Jackson, Faubion, Lone Oak Intermediate School

6th Grade Division 1st Place Winner
Brooklyn Spresser, Heath Middle School

Brooklyn Spresser is the 6th Grade Division 1st Place Winner.
Dixie Lynn
Brooklyn Spresser is the 6th Grade Division 1st Place Winner.

Listen to Brooklyn Spresser's first-place essay below.

Brooklyn Spresser.mp3
Brooklyn Spresser, Heath Middle School, reads her winning essay in the 6th Grade Division.

2nd Place: Maddie Brown, Lone Oak Middle School
3rd Place: Emma Beardall, Heath Middle School

7th Grade Division 1st Place Winner
Sebastian Hernandez, Heath Middle School

Sebastian Hernandez is the first-place winner of the essay's 7th Grade Division.
Dixie Lynn
Sebastian Hernandez is the first-place winner of the essay's 7th Grade Division.

Listen to Sebastian Hernandez's first-place essay below.

Sebastian Hernandez.mp3
Sebastian Hernandez reads his winning essay for the 7th Grade Division.

2nd Place: Audrey Walker, Paducah Middle School
3rd Place: Theo Durfee, Paducah Middle School

8th Grade Division 1st Place Winner
Brennen Hartman, Heath Middle School

Brennen Hartman is the first-place winner of the 8th Grade Division.
McCracken County Public Schools
Brennen Hartman is the first-place winner of the 8th Grade Division.

Listen to Brennen Hartman's first-place essay, "The Role Model."

Brennen Hartman.mp3
Brennen Hartman reads his first-place essay, "The Role Model."

2nd Place: Grey Vessels, Heath Middle School
3rd Place: Kamorah Hartman, Paducah Middle School

The Paducah-McCracken County NAACP also announced the winners of the CSI/NAACP Scholarship. This scholarship, in partnership with CSI, is for any senior within McCracken County. The scholarship prioritizes students who are either first-generation college students or a minority.

Winners of this scholarship are invited to attend our MLK Luncheon at Paducah Tilghman Auditorium on January 16th at 11:30 am. There are four scholarships given: one overall winner will receive $1,500, and the remaining three will each receive $500. The winners are as follows:

1st Place: Coy Booker, Paducah Tilghman High School
Runners Up:
Justice Campbell, Paducah Tilghman High School
MaKayla Loving, McCracken County High School
Esley Cornelius, McCracken County High School
Kylee Quinby, McCracken County High School

Starting at WKMS in 2014, Dixie is the station's Corporate Support Manager, working with local businesses and community organizations. She's been an avid supporter of public radio since her teenage years. Other than public radio, her passions include live music, natural health and nutrition, hiking, traveling, and animals. She serves on the Paducah Main Street Board and is a member of the Paducah-McCracken County NAACP and the Heath Family Resource & Youth Services Center Advisory Council. Dixie and her husband, local musician and historian Nathan Lynn, reside in Paducah with their two kids.
Melanie Davis-McAfee graduated from Murray State University in 2018 with a BA in Music Business. She has been working for WKMS as a Music and Operations Assistant since 2017. Melanie hosts the late-night alternative show Alien Lanes, Fridays at 11 pm with co-host Tim Peyton. She also produces Rick Nance's Kitchen Sink and Datebook and writes Sounds Good stories for the web.
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